Crane



5 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. HORTON.

CRANE No. 508.476, Y Patenfedflvov. 14, 1893.

(NO Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. HGRTON.

CRANE. No. 508,476. Patented NOV. 14, 18,93.v

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f v 5 Sheet-Sheet 3. J.v HORTON.

CRANE (No Model.)

Patented Nov. 14, 1893.

- (No Model.)

v5 sheets-sheet 4. J. HORTON.

l CRANE.

Patented Nov. 14, 1893.

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(No Model.) 5 Smets-sheet 5.'

J. HORTON.

CRANE -PatenteN. 14, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFETCE.

JAMES HORTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CRANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters vPat-ent No, 508,476, datedNovember 14, 1893. Application led January 10, 1893. Serial No.457,889.(No model.)

' .To all whom/.it may con-cern.-

Beit known that I, JAMES4 HORTON, a citi- 'zen of the United- States,residing at Chicago,

' county of Cook, State of- Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Cranes, of which I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part ot' this specilication.

My present invention has relation more particularly to that class ofcranes known as hydraulic cranes and in the accompanying, d rawings myinvention is Yshown as embodying a hydraulic crane especially designedfor the introduction into and Awithdrawal from reheating furnaces ofrails or other articles to be heated. I wish it understood however, thatwhile I have illustrated what I regard as the preferred formof myinvention, and its use in connection with a class of work to which it isespecially well adapted,'the invention is not restricted to thedetailsof construction shown since these may be varied by the skilled out theadoption of my improvements as anl entirety.

Figure 1 is a viewin side elevation of a hy; draulic craneI embodying mymvention, the' re-heating furnace in connection with which verticalsection.A Fig. 2 is a plan view,partsthe apparatus is shown, beingillustrated in being omitted. 3 is aviewfin longitudinal section throughthe hydraulic cylinder whereby the shifting of the load carriage iseffected. Fig. 4 is a view in longitudinal section'through thetelescopic supply pipe whereby water or other iiuid is delivered to thevertical cylinder that is sustainedby the load carriage. Fig. 5 is aview in vertical section on line 5 5 of Figs. 1 and 2, the pendulumsupply pipe being shown in elevation. Fig.

V 6 is a View of the telescopic pendulum supply pipe and itsconnections, parts being broken away for better illustration. Fig. 7

is a detail view of the load carriage andparts sustained thereby,certain parts being shown of the main platform, the hydraulic cylinderfor shifting said platform being shown in vertical section. Fig. 10 is aview of the pipes whereby the water or other duid is admitted to anddischarged from the hydraulic cyliny der whereby the rack bar of theload carriage .is shifted. Fig. 11 is a detail front view of detailsectional view of a four-way valve. Fig. -f

17 is a detail sectional View of a three-way valve.

A designates suitable uprights which serve by means of the brackets a tosustain the rails a whereon the wheels of lthe main platform willtravel. This main platform is preferably formed of the end trucks B andB that are united together by the long rails or I-beams B2 and B3. Asthese rails are of considerable length they will be braced by suitablebars 2 and 3 arranged at convenient points throughout their length.Each'of' the end trucks B and B consists preferably of a single castinghaving a vertical portion 5 and a horizontal portion 6, said horizontalportion having bifurcated ends 7 wherein are journaled the carryingwheels 8 of the platform.

Upon the rails or I-bearns B2, B3 of .the main platform travel thewheels 10 of the load carriage C, the-constructioujof which is. moreparticularly shown in Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 8. This load carriage preferablycomprises a body or horizontal portion l2 inthe ends of Which-are journaled the axles 13 of the wheels 10,-and by preference the body 12 ofthe carriage has-cast in one piece therewith a vertical cylinder CV through which passes the vertical'lifting shaft D. This shaft D hasattached thereto apis- I ton d `that works within the cylinder` Candthe-upper end D of the shaft D hasa groove-l d' therein to receive a rib15 that'isfo'rmed on the hub of the turning pinion-Eat'thetop :.of thevertical cylinder C. r

By reference'more particularlyto Fig. 8 of O is providedjwith a topplate "C2A bolted thereto, and in order to permit a free revolutoo thedrawings itwill be seenrth'at-the"cylinder' f placed in position.

tion of the turning pinion E, the hub of this pinion is formed with anextension e that passes through the top plate C2 of the cylinder, thelower end of this extension e being screw threaded to receive a threadedring` 16 which serves to hold the pinion E in place upon the top plateC? of the cylinder C. The hub of the pinion E is preferablyprovided withthe stuffing box e to prevent leakage. The lower end of the cylinder Cis provided with a bushing 17 and with a stuiing box 18 convenientlybolted thereto as at 19 in order to guard against leakage at the lowerend of the cylinder, and the casting at the lower end of the cylinder Cis preferably formed with an open space 20 to permit the sections of thebushing 17 and of the stuffing box 18 to be To the bottom of the castingwherein the cylinder C is formed is conveniently bolted thereto.

bolted an extension 21 having a bearing sleeve 22 through which passesthe vertical shaft D. At the top and bottom respectively of the cylinderC are connected the pipes 23 and 24 whereby water or other fluid will besupplied to the cylinder in order to effect the shifting of the piston dand consequently the raising and lowering of the shaft D, as willpresently be more fully described.

By reference more particularly to Figs. l, 7 and 8 of the drawings itwill be seen that with the turning pinion E engages the shifting rackbar F, the teeth of this rack bar being held in engagement with thepinion by means of the guide roller 25 that is journaled upon a stud 26rising from the top plate C2 of the vertical cylinder C. To the rack barF is connected a piston rod F', the piston f of which rod travels withina horizontal cylinder F2. One end of this cylinder F2 is closed by cap26 that will be bolted to the head 27 that is threaded to engage thethreaded end of the cylinder F2, and the opposite end of the cylinderhas a threaded portion that enters the threaded upper end 28 of astandard 29 (see Fig. l), that is bolted to the horizontal portion 12 ofthe load carriage. To the upper end 28 of the standard 29 is bolted the`head plateBO of the cylinder through which passes the piston rod F thishead plate be ing furnished with a suitable stuffing box 3l The ends ofthe cylinder F2 have attached thereto the pipes 32 and 33 for thepassage of the water or other Huid whereby the shifting of the piston fwithin the cylinder will be effected.` as will f :presently more fullyappear.

i From the construction of parts thus far deined it will be seen thatthe main platform whereby the load carriage C is sustained can be movedback and forth upon the rails a while tlload carriage C can be shiftedupon the rails or I-bealns B2, B3 of the platform and at right.-anglesto the line of travel of the platform. So also it is plain that by theadmission of wat er under pressure to the cylinder C the vertical shaftD (whereby the load to be shifted will be sustained) can be raised andlowered, and by means of the rack bar F and the turning,r pinion Erevolution can be imparted to the vertical shaft D in order to swingrthe load carrying arm G at the end of the vertical shaft D in desireddirection.

The mechanism whereby the shifting of the platform, of the load carriageand of the vertical load sustaining shaft D is effected will next bedescribed.

Suitably sustained above the apparatus is a main supply pipe H for wateror other fluid and to the end of this pipe is united by suitable swivelcoupling tl the upper end of the telescopic supply pipe which consistsof the sections I and I. The section I is furnished at its lower endwith a cap 38 and stuiing box 39 through which passes the section I',and the lower end of the section I is provided with a swivel coupling z"that is attached by the brackets 40 and 4l (see Figs. l, 2 and 6) withone of the rails B2 of the main platform. The construction of the swivelcoupling at the upper end of the telescopic pendulumsupplypipe isthesame as that illustrated at the lower end of such pipe, the bracketssustaining the swivel coupling 'L' atthe upper end being similar to thebrackets 40 and 41. It will thus be seen that as the main platform ism'oved back and forth the telescopic pendulumsupplypipewillpermitacontinuous tiow of water therethrough from the mainsupply pipe H (see dotted lines Fig. 5). To the swivel coupling i at thelower end of the pendulum supply pipe is connected, by means of bracket40 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 6), a pipe 42, which is preferably curved as inFigs. 1 and 2 to pass outside the line of travel of the carriage C, andthis. pipe leads to a four-way coupling 43 which, as well as all of thesupply pipes to be hereinafterdescribed are supported by and moved withthe main platform. From the coupling 43 water will pass by the shortpipe 44 into the four-way `valve 45, to

which are connected the pipes 46 and 47 that.

lead to the opposite ends of the platform shifting cylinder K. Thiscylinder K vis mounted in manner free to slide upon the long rod L towhich is attached the piston l within the cylinderiK. 'lhe ends of thecylinder K are furnished with the heads 50, 51, threaded to engage thethreaded ends of the cylinder and to these heads are suitably bolted theend plates 52 carrying the stuffing boxes 53, the end plates and stulngboxes being perforated to receive the rod L.` To the cylinder K arebolted the sectionalbands 54 (see Figs. 9 and 14), the lower flanges 55of these bands serving to retain the blocks'56 that slide upon the rail57. The rail 57 is formed of sections (see Fig. 15) the webs of whichare cut away as shown at Fig. 15 to receive the brackets a. that sustainthe main rails a of the platform.

The cylinder K is connected to the end truck B of the main platform bybands 58 that encircle the cylinder and are bolted .to

IOC

the truck B as at'59 so as to insure the movement of theplatform withthe cylinder, and

ment of both ends of theplatform.- The fourway valve 45 is provided witha handle 60a that extends downward in position to be' manipulated by theoperator standing upon the suspended frame 6l that is supported bysuitable rods connected to the main platform, and it will be seen thatwhen the handleO is shifted so as to cause water to flow from thefourway valve'chamber 45 through the pipe 46 and into the correspondingendof vthe cylinder'K, the cylinder-will be shifted in the direction ofthe arrow, Fig. 9 and will cause a like movement of the main platform insuch direction.

1 While-thecylinder and platform are thus 29 opposite endof the cylinderK will iiow shifted, a freeescape of the water from the through the pipe47 and through one of the y channels of vthe four-way Valve-45, whenceit-will pass by suitable discharge pipe into a gutter convenientlyarranged beneath the path of .travel of the4 .platform...1t is obviousalso that if the handle Ofofthe four- 1 way valve 45 is reversed so asto cause the passage of water through the pipe 47 and into the cylinderK, the'direction of travel of the cylinder K and of the platformv willbe reversed, and the water from the opposite end of the Acylinder-K willescape by way of the pipe 46. p In order to enable -the carriage C to beshifted back and forth upon the rails ofthe main platform I haveprovided a hydraulic cylinder M thatis'attached to the main platform insuitable manner, this cylinder M having screw threaded heads m and m,the head m having bolted thereto a cap plate mi. and

the stuffing box m3 thropughwhich passes the piston rodN. One end ofthis piston lrod'N h as a piston n working within thecylinder M, -whilethe oppositeiend'of vthis-piston rod is connected to an armi 68sthat isbolted to the load carriage C (see Fig. 2). To one end ofthe cylinder Mconnectsa water pipe 70 and to the opposite end of this cylinderconnects a wafer pipe '71. Both of these pipes lead to a four-Way valve7 2 located-at one end of fthe platform above the opera'tors stand 6l,

= this four-way valve`72 -being furnished with a lhandle 73 whereby asupply and discharge of'waterthrough the pipes70 and 7l can becontrolled. Hence it will be seen that when the-operator desires tomovethe carriage O in one direction, for example toward the op- 'eratorsstand 6l h-e will shift the handleA 73 of thevalve 72 so as to cause thesupply of water (which is delivered to the lfour-way -valve 72 by a pipe74 from the main coupling 43)- to pass through the pipe O'into thecylinder M. The water thus entering the cylinder will force the pistonnoutward causing the carriage C to move toward the o eratorsstand, andthe water from the opposite side through the pipe 70.`

In order to raise and lower the vertical load sustaining shaft D (seeFig. 8)II connect the fpipe 24 at the lower end of the cylinder C.withrthe telescopic supply pipe formed of the sections@ and O (see Fig.4), the section O of this pipe having one endclosed by capV o and havingits opposite end provided with a head o and a stuling box o2 through'which passes the section O. This section O of the supply pipe leads tothe end of the platform and is there fixed as shown at 8O in Fig. 2and.by means of the cross pipe 81 it is connected with a three-way valve82-'that receives a 'supply of water from the main coupling 43, thisvalve 82 being furnished with asuitable discharge pipe that empties intothe gutter for waste water and being furnished also with a hand lever83. The pipe 2-3 at the vupper end of the cylinder C is simply aventpipe to permit the admission and the escape of air above the piston d,since it is not necessary to employ power for moving downward the pistond, as the weight of the load 'and of the vertical shaft D Will effectmovement of the shaft.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the operatorshifts the valve lever 83 soas tol cause water to' pass through thepipes 8l, O", O and,24, intothe cylinder C', the piston d will be forcedupward inthe cylinder and .will carry with it-the load sustaining shaftD. lW hen `the operator reverses the lever 83 the weight of 'the r shaftD and its loadr will draw downwardvthefpiston d; forcing -the Ywater toescape through the pipes by which it was delivered to the cylinder.

To enable the load sustaining shaft-D to be 'turned in order to permitthe load carrying arm G to be' swung in: desired direction, through themedium of the turning-piniouE shifting rack F, cylinder F2 and piston f,as -hereinbefore detined,1 connect one end of the cylinder F2 by meansof a pipe 32 to a shifting supply and-dischargepipe 90 and I connect theopposite end of this cylin'derF2 by a pipe 33 to a similar shiftingsupply'and discharge pipey 91,v the construction ofl which pipes is moreparticularly illustrated in'Figs. 7 and l0 of the drawings. The shiftingsup- Y1 oo the downward IIO plypipe 90 is furnished at its opposite'endswith the heads 92 to which are bolted the'caps -93-and stuflingfboxes 94and through these caps and; stuffing boxespasses the pipe 95 thatconnects by a bent pipe 96 with afourway valve 97 that will befurnished: witha vvalve lever'98 and'with-'a suitable waste pipe leadingto the common gutter for waste water. In like manner the pipe 91 will beprovided with heads 92, cap plates 93 and stuffing boxes 94, throughwhich cap plates and studing boxes extends the fixed pipe 99 thatconnects by a cross pipe 100 with the four-way valve 97. It will beobserved that each of the pipes 95 and 99, are fixed pipes a constantcommunication heilig maintained between the shifting pipes and 91 andthe fixed pipes and 99 by means of the orifices 101. Hence it will beseen that when Water is to be admitted into the cylinder F2 for thepurpose of shifting the rack bar F in order to turn the vertical shaftD,it is only necessary for the operator to move in proper direction thevalve lever 98 of the four-way valve 97. When water is admitted by thefixed pipe 95 and shifting pipe 90, and pipe 33 to the cylinder F2, thepiston f will be forced backward from the position shown in Fig. 7, andat the same time Water will escape from the opposite side of the pistonthrough the pipe 32, the shifting pipe 91, the fixed pipe 99, and thepipe 100 into the valve 97 whence it will pass by a waste pipe into thegutter for waste water. By reversing the hand lever` 98, it is obviousthat a reverse movement of the piston fand of the rack bar F can beeffected. Hence it will be seen that by the manipulation of the properlevers, the operator upon his stand 61 can cause the movement of themain platform and of the load carriage and can also eect the verticallifting and the turning of the load sustaining shaft D in order to raiseand turn to the desired position the load carrying arm G.

When my apparatus is to be employed for the introduction and withdrawalof blooms or like articles into and from re-heatng furnaces I prefer toconstruct the load carrying arm G and its gripping mechanism as moreparticularly illustrated in Figs. 1, 11, 12 and 13 of the drawings. Thisarm G has its hub g connected to the lower end of the vertical shaft Dand the under side of this arm G is formed with a groove or channel forthe operating rod P that extends from end to end of the arm and servesto control the movement of the gripper jawsR and R at the free end ofthe arm G. One of the R jaws is bifurcated at its upper end to receivethe upper end of the gripper jaw R and through the upper `ends of thesejaws passes the stud r whereon the jaws R and R are pivoted, this studbeing held within a socket in the end of the load carrying arm G andbeing provided with a head fr to retain the pivoted jaws in place. Thebifurcated jaw R is formed with the slots r2 to receive the eccentricsor cams p2 of the operating rod P, and in like manner the jaw R isformed with a slot r3 to receive the eccentric or cam p3 of the rod P.The outer end of -the operating rod P is sustained by a journal plate p4bolted to the under side of the arm G, while the opposite end of thisrod P is journaled in a hanger p5 that is bolted to the hub g of the armG and is furnished with a handle p6 whereby the rod can be turned asdesired. The free ends of the gripper jaws R and R are preferablyfurnished with pins fr8 to enable the jaws to more firmly grip the bloomor bar to be shifted.

From the above description it will be seen that when it is desired tolift a bloom or bar W (see Fig. 1), the furnace attendant will turn thehandle p6 so as to cause the cams or eccentrics p2, p3 at the oppositeend of the rod P to turn the jaws R, R in suchmanner as to force theirfree ends to firmly ,engage the bar or bloom W. The operator upon thestand 61 will then,by the mechanism hereinbefore described, cause abackward movement of the carriage C so as to withdraw the bar or bloom Wfrom the re-heatng furnace X and will afterward shift the platform andturn the load carrying arm G in order to deposit the bar or bloom W atthe desired point. In order to protect the operating rod from beingstruck by the bar or rail W, I provide the under side of the loadcarrying arm G with a shield or plate T conveniently bolted thereto.

It is obvious that the precise construction of the gripper jawsand ofthe load carrying arm may be varied to suit lthe character of the workfor which they are to be employed.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with suitable rails of a movable platform mountedupon said rails, a cylinder connected and movable with said platform forshifting the same, and a fixed piston rod extending through both. endsof said cylinder, and suitable pipes for delivering fluid to saidcylinder upon opposite sides of the piston, whereby the platform can beshifted back and forth, substantially as described.

2. The combination with suitable rails of a movable platform, ahydraulic cylinder connected to said platform and movable therewith, afixed piston rod extending through said cylinder, and a supplementalrail for sustaining said cylinder, substantially as described.

3. rlhe combination with a suitable platform of a load carriage movablysustained thereon. a double acting hydraulic cylinder carried by saidplatform and arranged outof the line of travel of the load carriage, apiston rod for said cylinder, an arm connecting the free end of thepiston rod to -the load carriage, and suitable delivery and dischargepipes for said cylinder, substantially as de-k scribed.

Il. The combination of a movable platform, a load carriage mounted uponand movable on said platform, a hydraulic cylinder connected to andmovable with said platform, a fixed piston rod extending through bothends of said cylinder, suitable pipes for delivering IOO iiuid to bothends of said cylinder, a hydraulic l cylinder carried by said platformand extending in the direction of its length and a piston rod for saidcylinder connected with theload carriage, said piston rod andcylinderbeing of sufficient length to eect the back and forth movement of saidload carriage, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a suitable load carriage of a hydraulicvcylinder sustained thereby, a vertically movable and rotatable Vshaft'extending through said cylinder and a load carrying arm connected to andsustained by said shaft, whereby said arm can be bodily lifted androtated, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a platform of a load carriage movably mountedupon .said platform, a vertical cylinder sustained by said loadcarriage, a rotatable and vertically movable lifting shaft extendingthrough both ends of said cylinder, alpinion mounted upon the upper endor extension of said lifting shaft,

and suitable means for turning said pinion, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a platform of a load carriage movably mountedupon said platform, a vertical cylinder sustained by said I*loadcarriage, a vertically movable and rotatable lifting shaft passingthrough both ends ofy said cylinder, apinion connected to said liftingshaft,a rack bar for engaging said.pinion, anda cylinder and piston rodmounted upon and movable with said load carriage for operating said rackbar, substantially as described.

8. The combination With a platform of a load carriage movably mountedthereon, a vertical cylinder sustained by saidv carriage, a rotatableshaft extending through said cylinder, a rack bar and pinion forrotating said shaft, a cylinder and piston movable with said loadcarriage for operating the rack bar and pinion and movable supply anddischarge pipes carried by said load carriage and Iixed pipes extendingthrough said movable supply and discharge pipes Wherebyfluid 1sdelivered to the cylinder in order to operate the rack bar and pinion,substantially as described.

JAMEs HoRToN.

